Belts for use in reinforcing pneumatic tires are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,523,472 and 3,842,885 disclose reinforcing belt constructions designed to prolong tread life. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,774 discloses a reinforcing belt construction designed to improve the cornering capabilities of a tire. The reinforcing belts in these and similar patents are typically formed from cords, sheets, filaments or the like which reinforce a rubber or polymeric matrix.
More recently, reinforcing belts having particular constructions have been tried in an effort to improve fuel efficiency, handling and run-flat capability. European Patent 0 093 451 discloses the use of a circumferentially inextensible breaker band having a single cord layer reinforcing thermoplastic elastomeric materials to reduce the amount of horsepower absorbed by the tire. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,249 and 4,318,434 disclose the incorporation into a tire of a solid annular band of filament reinforced epoxy resin, high strength metal, or the like, to improve the run-flat capability of the tire. One problem with these belt constructions is that because the belt is preformed or precured and inserted into the tire, the uniformity and homogeneity of the tire may be compromised.